Conditions of Use of Leisure and Cultural Services Department(LCSD)
Recreation and Sports Facilities |
| General Conditions |
| 1. |
All hirers/users must observe the Pleasure Grounds Regulation (Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132), and any direction given by the management staff of the facilities. |
| 2. |
The hirer must be one of the users using facilities and must be present during the use of the booked sessions. The hirer must produce the valid permit/approval letter for verification and registration before using the facilities. The permit/approval letter is not transferable. |
| 3. |
The booked facilities will only be used for the designated function of the facilities, unless with prior approval of the management. If any applicant wishes to use the facility for any other activity, the applicant should seek advice and agreement from the venue management before making the booking. The management may not permit such other use on the spot by the hirer if without prior agreement. |
| 4. |
All users must wear appropriate attire, footwear, use appropriate equipment, protective gear as necessary and observe all safety rules and conditions for use of the sport/activity. |
| 5. |
The hirer is required to produce their identification document (ie. identity cards, passports, re-entry permits, and student cards bearing a photograph of the card holder) and recognized qualification (if necessary) for verification at the check-in counter before entering the facilities and during the booked session. |
| 6. |
Eating and drinking shall not be permitted inside the playing areas. Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the sports facilities. |
| 7. |
All users must leave the playing area when their booked session/hour is over. All hired/borrowed equipment should be returned at the same time. |
| 8. |
If an organisation, having booked a session, fails to take up the booking or fully utilize the facilities without satisfactory explanation, LCSD reserves the right to refuse to accept further bookings from this organisation. |
| 9. |
Recreation and sports facilities will be closed on the issue of tropical cyclone signal No. 8. The management may also exercise discretion to close the facilities when, in its opinion, that the facilities are unsuitable for use from safety or operation point of view. |
| 10. |
Concessionary rates are granted for Senior citizens aged 60 and over, full-time students, persons with disabilities. If any person(s) is found not entitled to the enjoyment of concessionary rate after such payment has been made, he/she will be required to make up the amount underpaid immediately. Otherwise, all the users will be required to leave the facility. |
| 11. |
Hirers/users enjoying concessionary rates may be required to produce proof of identity e.g. student cards, registration card for persons with disabilities, Senior Citizen card issued by the Social Welfare Department or identity card for checking. |
| 12. |
In order to enjoy concessionary rates in the use of facilities, the hirer and all his/her partner(s) should be users eligible for concessions of the booked session(s). |
| 13. |
No distinction should be made between local and overseas individuals in granting the concessions. Both local and overseas individuals of the specific categories are eligible for the same concession. |
| 14. |
Overseas schools and overseas subvented non-governmental or disabled organisations are not eligible for the concession. |
| 15. |
Minders accompanying persons with disabilities should also be entitled to the concessionary rate and the maximum ratio be fixed at 1:1. |
| 16. |
Under normal circumstances, application from a hirer to transfer a confirmed booking to a different time will be deemed to be a cancellation and the fees paid will be forfeited. (Application form for cancellation of booking can be downloaded here) |
| 17. |
If a confirmed booking has to be cancelled by the management owing to inclement weather or any unforeseen circumstances in accordance with Condition 9, the hirer may apply for reallocation or refund of the unused time of the session within 30 days, inclusive of the day of the original booking. However, the management does not guarantee the availability of any suitable session for reallocation, for reasons including but not limited to scheduled maintenance works, prevailing booking situations of the facility or any other circumstances. In such case, refund of hire charge will be arranged. |
| 18. |
The hirer shall be responsible to meet the cost of repairing any damage caused to the facility, and of repairing or reinstating or replacing any equipment, apparatus, fitting, or other property damaged or destroyed (fair wear and tear excepted), stolen or removed during the use of the facility. |
| 19. |
All injuries to participants or any other party, as well as damage to the facility, must be reported to the management immediately. |
| 20. |
Except with the written approval of LCSD, the applicants, being either the sole or joint organiser of an event, shall be responsible for all the administrative work of the events including recruitment, enrolment, publicity, fee collection, employment of staff etc., in order to enjoy priority of booking. |
| 21. |
The hirer shall indemnify and keep indemnified LCSD against all actions, claims, and demands by any person who suffers or sustains any death, injury, loss or damages arising out of or as a result of the use of the recreation and sports facility by the hirer or any person so authorised by him due to the negligence on his part or on the part of such authorised person. |
| 22. |
At the discretion of the Department, users can be granted free use of booked facility that is paid for but not taken up by the original hirer 10 minutes after the starting time on condition that there is no other vacant facility available for booking at the same time. The user(s) who has been granted for such use should surrender the facility back to the original hirer immediately upon the arrival of the original hirer. Person(s) who wish to have free use of such facility should approach the booking counter and allocation is made on a first-come-first-served basis. Registration for such use of the temporary vacant facilities, will commence after the start of each hour/session. Persons who have not booked or used a session of such facility on that day will be granted a higher priority. Venue manager/duty officer in-charge may cancel/suspend such free use arrangement at any time if there is suspected abuse of such free use by any person, including unauthorised transfer/sale of the use, as may be determined by the venue manager/duty officer in-charge on the spot. |
| 23. |
LCSD may refuse any person from using the facility if he/she does not observe the Conditions of Use or remove any person from the facility if he/she is in breach of the Pleasure Grounds Regulation (Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, Cap. 132) or other regulations in force. In such event, the booking will be cancelled automatically and the paid fees forfeited. |
| 24. |
For uses involving the erection of temporary structure (other than those provided by the venue), public admission and of high risk nature, District Leisure Manager/venue manager may require the hirer to take out a suitable insurance coverage to protect the interest of both the hirer and the Government. The prevailing level of insurance amount against the indemnity set by LCSD shall be applied in commensurate with the scale/nature of use/event. |
| 25. |
For events involving overseas teams (including those from the Mainland), the applicant should consult the governing sports body, viz. the National Sports Association (NSA) concerned, for advice/agreement on the proposed use according to the practice of international sporting events to ensure that these events comply with the requirements of the governing sports body for the safety of the athletes and spectators. |
| 26. |
The hirer shall not make, publish, display or disseminate event related publicity materials that contain false, biased, misleading or deceptive information. The hirer shall not expressly or by implication make reference to LCSD in any of the publicity materials without prior written permission of the Department. The hirer shall indemnify and keep indemnified LCSD and the Government and their servants and agents against all claims, demands, actions or proceedings arising from any breach or non-observance of this provision. |
| 27. |
The hirer should not arrange any public admission during the use of the booked facility as spectators, without the prior approval of the management. |
| 28. |
On the basis of the nature of use/activity, the management may stipulate a maximum user capacity of the booked facility on the ground of public safety and management consideration. |
| 29. |
LCSD reserves the right to reject/cancel the booking without giving prior notice to the applicant/hirer and also to restrict the number of users and/or spectators entering the venue or to refuse entry of any person upon health ground or any other reason and/or impose further conditions for use of the recreation and sports facilities. |
| Other Conditions Applicable to Specific Facilities |
| Indoor and Outdoor Sport Climbing Wall |
| 30. |
Overseas certificates should be verified by the relevant NSAs in Hong Kong to be arranged by the hirers/users before using the facility. |
| 31. |
All users of the climbing walls must inspect their equipment and safety of the gear prior to use. |
| 32. |
The hirers/users are advised to take every precautionary measure to ensure safety and that all equipment should comply with the safety standards of the NSA concerned. |
| 33. |
Only one user is allowed to climb on each lane of the outdoor / indoor climbing wall at a time. He/She should always be assisted by another user as belayer for safety sake. |
| 34. |
For individual use, only person holding a recognised and valid sport climbing training level 2 certificate or above issued by the NSAs concerned, and accompanied by another person(s) with equivalent qualification or above may use the climbing walls. |
| 35. |
For group use of the climbing walls (a maximum of six users within the safety mat area are allowed for each lane for outdoor climbing wall and a maximum of 20 users are allowed for an indoor climbing room at any one time). Any user not holding a recognised and valid sport climbing training level 2 certificate or above issued by the NSAs concerned should be accompanied by at least two other persons, one of whom must hold a sport climbing training level 2 certificate and the other must hold a valid coach/instructor card. |
| 36. |
For outdoor climbing wall, the capacity of group uses for holding fun days or demonstrations by a hirer, etc. can be relaxed by LCSD to 12 users per lane and up to a maximum of 48 users for four lanes subject to a maximum of six users for each lane to be permitted to stay within the safety mat area at any time of use. The other users should stay outside the safety mat area for safety sake of the users. |
| 37. |
Users are not allowed to change the route settings without prior permission from the management. Any change to the route settings must be carried out by qualified persons recommended/endorsed by NSAs. Any altered route settings must be reinstated to its original state at the close of the booked session. |
| 38. |
The hirers/users without possessing the valid recognized qualification of coach/ instructor are required to bring along with own equipment and gear. |
| Indoor and Outdoor Golfing Facilities |
| 39. |
Overseas certificates should be verified by the relevant NSAs in Hong Kong. |
| 40. |
Children under the age of 5 are not allowed to enter the golf driving range unless prior approval is obtained from the venue management. Children between the age of 5 and 12 are not allowed to enter the golf driving range/practice green unless they are accompanied by an adult. |
| 41. |
During group training, the instructor must be a member of the Hong Kong Professional Golfers' Association or equivalent. The ratio of instructor to trainees should not exceed 1:6 unless permission is obtained from LCSD. |
| Fitness Rooms |
| 42. |
Fitness rooms in sports venues not exclusively booked by hirers are available for share use by users in possession of the required qualification and at the age of 15 or above who have registered as User of Fitness Rooms under LCSD. These users can be qualified under the following situations:
- participants of the ¡§Briefing on Proper Ways to Use Fitness Equipment¡¨ who have passed the assessment organised by LCSD;
- participants of ¡§Fitness (Multi-gym) Training Course¡¨ organised by LCSD from May 2006 onwards who have attained 80% or above attendance rate;
- holders of LCSD Fitness Gold Card; and
- holders of equivalent qualifications recognised by the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China.
|
| 43. |
Users of fitness rooms are required to complete a "Physical
Activities Readiness Questionnaire - Par-Q & You" (Par-Q & You) form on an annual basis as undertaking to confirm his/her health condition being fit for using the fitness equipment. For users aged below 18, the ¡§Par-Q & You¡¨ should be signed by their parents/guardians. The ¡§Par-Q & You¡¨ is valid for one year from the date it is completed. If there is ¡§Yes¡¨ on one or more questions on the ¡§Par-Q & You¡¨, the users should consult doctor and follow his/her advice prior to using fitness equipment. For users aged 70 or above, they should complete the ¡§Declaration form for participants aged 70 or above¡¨ every time prior to their use of fitness equipment. |
| 44. |
For exclusive use of the fitness room, one of the users must possess:
- a certificate of Resistance Training Instructor issued by the Physical Fitness Association of Hong Kong, China; or
- a certificate of Bodybuilding Instructor issued by the Hong Kong Bodybuilding and Fitness Association.
|
| 45. |
Schools may book for exclusive use of the fitness rooms to organise fitness activities for the students under the supervision of a Physical Education teacher. |
| Dance Rooms / Activity Rooms / Games Rooms |
| 46. |
For block booking of dance rooms, the minimum number of users is six persons at any one time for each room. |
| 47. |
Due to the multi-use nature of the room, the applicant for use of Activity Room should consult the venue management for their agreement on the proposed activity which is of high risk nature with safety implications (e.g. free fight or contact sports, etc.), involving possible damage to the facility and setting up of any temporary structure, etc, before making the bookings. Failing such, the management may cancel the booking and/or suspend the use, and may invoke the provisions under Condition 23 and 29. |
| Bowling Greens |
| 48. |
Only users who are allowed to play can stay on the green. A maximum of eight users per rink are permitted to play or remain on the green at any time. |
| 49. |
Users must wear unsoiled, smooth-soled and heelless footwear while staying on the green. |
| 50. |
Users should not drop or dump the bowl on the surface of the green. |
| 51. |
Users should not bowl from one position all the time. The mat should be moved up and down along the length of the green during play in order to reduce wearing of the green. |
| Billiard Facilities |
| 52. |
A maximum of six players will be allowed for each American pool table at any one time. For training course, a maximum of six players will be allowed for each table under the instruction of coach. |
| 53. |
A maximum of six players will be allowed for each billiard table at any one time. For training course, a maximum of eight players will be allowed for each table under the instruction of coach. |
| 54. |
A maximum of two players will be allowed for each carom table at any one time. For training course, a maximum of six players will be allowed for each table under the instruction of coach. |
| Archery Ranges |
| 55.
| Overseas certificates should be verified by the relevant NSAs in Hong Kong. |
| 56.
| All users of the archery ranges must inspect their equipment and safety of the gear prior to use. |
| 57.
| For individual bookings, at least one of the users holding a recognised and valid archery level I coach certificate or above issued by the relevant NSA may use the archery range. |
| 58.
| For group use of the archery ranges (a maximum ratio of 1:20 between coach and users), any users not holding a recognised and valid archery level I coach certificate or above issued by the relevant NSA should be accompanied by at least one coach who must be the holder of a recognised and valid archery level I or above coach certificate. |
| 59.
| Users are not allowed to change the route settings without prior permission from the management. Any change to the route settings must be carried out by qualified persons recommended/endorsed by the relevant NSA. Any altered route settings must be reinstated to its original state within the booked session. |
| 60.
| Each archery target can be used by several persons. The users should take turns to practise with the target. The coach(es) should allocate the facilities according to the number of participants and to ensure safety when the participants are practising archery.
|
| 61.
| Coach(es) with recognised qualification(s) must be present during the course of the activity to give on-site instructions and ensure that all participants strictly adhere to the following safety guidelines:
- Participants should shoot within the designated shooting areas;
- Participants should not nock their arrows unless instruction is given by the coach;
- Participants should not shoot their arrows in any directions other than the target;
- Participants should ensure that no one is within the shooting range before shooting; and
- Participants should not shoot without arrows.
|
| 62.
| Persons other than the participants in the activity must stay outside the archery range. |
| 63.
| Hirers should put used archery targets on the ground and flatten them when the practice has finished. |
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